HYDE PARK BOUTIQUE(Formerly Holiday House Hotel)

A pretty good hotel for one or two nights. The staff is very friendly, and the location is just a few minutes' walk from Paddington Station, so it's also right next to the Underground. Very convenient. The room is quite cute, but the kettle didn't work. When we tried to plug it in, it tripped the circuit breaker. The heating wasn't on before our arrival, and the space heater wasn't working either. It's very poorly insulated; you can hear everything, and there's no elevator (a detail that might be important for some). Don't pay for breakfast. Go to a coffee shop for that. The breakfast selection is small for the price, with few savory options (even though that's the specialty), and the food isn't of very high quality.

Our arrival at the hotel was a regrettable experience. Due to an error on the form (our 11-year-old daughter was listed as 3, even though the reservation was for 3 people), the manager tried to take advantage of the situation in an outrageous manner. Arbitrary pricing: He first demanded an additional £1000. After a tense discussion, he lowered the price to £500. Finally, after the situation became untenable and I was forced to raise my voice in indignation and frustration, he accepted £380. This shameful "bargaining" demonstrates that there are no fixed rates, but rather an attempt to charge as much as possible depending on the customer's resistance. Unacceptable comments: As a professional in the hotel industry, I tried to reason with him, but his response was: "These are the rules in England, not like in your country." A comment with xenophobic undertones and an arrogance unbecoming of a hospitality professional. Forced sale: We were forced into an unnecessary room change simply to give the appearance of legality to a charge that was, in practice, an exorbitant penalty for an age error. The treatment was hostile and rude, with no regard for the fact that a minor was present. It was a completely coercive situation at check-in. If the hotel responds by citing 'rules,' they should explain why a £1000 charge ends up being reduced to £380 after an argument. I absolutely do not recommend this hotel. Response to the manager/hotel owner: Your response confirms exactly what I reported: a complete lack of professional ethics. Admitted discrimination: You have admitted that the manager compared 'my country' to the UK. Using a guest's nationality during a dispute is discriminatory and unacceptable. Arbitrary pricing: The price only dropped from £500 to £380 after a tense confrontation. This proves that your rates are arbitrary and not 'fixed,' as you claim. False claims about the agency: You claim that the booking agency confirmed your position. This is false. I was unable to contact the agency during the check-in process due to technical issues, and you took advantage of this lack of mediation to pressure me. It is true that I raised my voice for 10 seconds due to extreme frustration and outrage at your treatment, but using that tense moment to call the police and force a family with a child to pay an unfair charge is a shameful intimidation tactic. A professional hotel manages conflicts; it does not use the authorities as a tool for extortion. As a hospitality professional, I am appalled. I will be filing a formal complaint with Trading Standards and Westminster City Council regarding the lack of transparency in your pricing and the discriminatory comments made by management.

Very disappointed with this hotel... all Eurostar trains were cancelled on December 30th, 2025, so it was impossible to get to London for New Year's. I asked the hotel to cancel my stay free of charge given the circumstances, but they refused and I lost my entire reservation! I'm the one who loses out, but they pocketed my booking and were able to put the room back up for "rental," so they're doubly profitable. No alternative solution was offered, such as a voucher to stay at another time. I do not recommend using their customer service; it's unacceptable to treat customers like that.